"Paris,"
The door closed a few seconds after Paris walked into the house but she didn't stop for a second. Denise had been calling her name, chasing after her ever since she stormed out of the car but she was too upset to even listen. At that point, she was so upset to even stop, too embarrassed too and Denise had everything to do with it. She walked into the huge hallway, heading straight for the flight of L shaped stairs.
"Paris, please wait."
Denise was well aware of how much her comment during dinner had upset her. She could see it especially since Paris didn't say a word to her ever since they got into the car.
Paris always gave her the silent treatment. It was no surprise but this, ignoring her and getting upset with her was one thing Denise just couldn't let slide. Pleasing Paris was all she ever knew, getting Paris to accept her, but it looked like Paris was never satisfied with anything she did. She never did for once in nine years no matter how hard she tried but Denise never saw the need to stop. Paris was going to learn to accept her one day. She just had to put up with a lot up until then and never stop proving herself to her just as she was about to.
Paris stopped walking for a minute.
She was sick of it anyway. She was trying to walk away, trying to avoid talking to her but it looked like she was dying to get a word out of her and that made Paris even angrier, the fact that she wouldn't leave her alone even after trying to compromise her wedding with the prince.
Paris let out a frustrated breath and turned to Denise who had already stopped walking when she did. Immediately.
"What?" Her tone was demanding.
Denise let out a weak sigh and took a step towards her.
"Paris I know you're upset and disappointed with what I said to the queen about your marriage to the prince-"
Paris rolled her eyes and let out a tiny disbelief scoff, folding her hands on her chest.
"I didn't say those words to stop your wedding with the prince, I was only looking out for you."
"You have got to be kidding me-"
"I just had to be honest-"
"You had to be honest? You were trying to look out for me?"
"Paris, marriage is no joke. It's a big deal especially when it's to the royal family and in as much as you think you're ready for the responsibilities that come with it, you're not-"
"You know, this is the thing I really hate about you." Paris cut her off right in time. "Your inability to know when your advice is not needed. I am not upset with you Denise, I am extremely disgusted by you, disgusted by the fact that you're a big hypocrite. You pretend to want what's best for people and then stab them in the back."
"Paris, I never stabbed you in the back-"
"Just like you did to my mother. Just like how you pretended to be her friend all those years but couldn't wait for her to die so you could take her place and her husband, her family."
"Paris,"
"Your pretense makes me so upset so much that I want to gauge my eyes out-"
"Paris," Oliver's hoarse voice echoed around the hallway as he walked into the scene. "You will watch your words when you speak to your step mother."
"Why?" She asked him and then turned to Denise. "I didn't say anything the whole world doesn't know."
Denise let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She took a step to Paris.
"Paris-" she tried to reach for her hand but Paris took a step back.
"How dare you?" Paris asked her. "How dare someone like you act like my mother? How dare someone like you try to covert my mother's place? How dare a filthy commoner like you give your unsolicited opinion on my marriage especially to the king and queen? how dare a rotten barren trash like you-"
Denise held her breath.
"Paris!" Oliver yelled her name.
"A mischievous thief like you," Paris went on. When she started like this, it was really hard for anyone to stop her. "A commoner, a leech, a nobody -"
"You will stop talking at once!" Oliver took quick steps towards her as his voice got even louder. Denise looked away, she had tears forming in her eyes. Paris held back the rest of her words and turned to Oliver the moment she felt him close to her. "Stop talking or I will not hesitate to discipline you here and now!"
She could see the look in his eyes. He was angry, really angry and at that point, Paris knew she had crossed the line and had to stop before she crossed it even more.
"What has come over you?!" He asked her.
"Oliver," Denise wrapped her hand around his arm in an attempt to stop him from scolding her even more.
Paris scoffed.
Yeah right.
"It has been nine years!" Oliver gave Paris a stern look. "All Denise has ever done is try to be a good mother to you for nine long years, until when are you going to give her the respect she deserves? Until when are you going to be such a spoilt brat?"
"Dad, Dad did you not hear what she said to the queen-"
"So what if she said what she said? What did it change? Did it change anything? Is that enough reason to be so vile and so disrespectful? How do you intend to be married into the royal family with that attitude?"
"Oliver," Denise tugged his arm.
"It's because of this attitude of yours the prince can't stand you! It's because of your attitude you have not been able to win him over in seven years-"
"And whose fault is it?!" She yelled back at him.
"What?"
"Whose fault is it that I have a rotten attitude? The Apple does not fall far from the tree, I am your daughter after all!"
"What did you just say to me?" Oliver took a step to her but Denise pulled him back.
Paris took a deep breath. She needed it, she needed to calm her nerves just a little bit. She flickered her tongue down her teeth.
"You know, you both really deserve each other."
She pointed at them one after the other. "You were truly made for each other and I'm truly happy I don't have to live with any of your bullshit for too long."
"Go to your room right now." Oliver instructed, pointing at the stairs. "Go to your room and reflect on your attitude tonight. You can't ever leave until you do!"
Paris raised both her eyebrows and eyed him. Like she cared. Her room was paradise enough anyway. She didn't care. She couldn't. She wasn't scared either. She dropped them and turned immediately and started to storm to the stairs and then right up them.
*************************************************
"Red or blue?"
"Uhhh, you always look so adorable in red Noa, but you know what they say, blue is the color for royalty."
"I just want to look really good Aubrey, I really don't care about the color of royalty. There are going to be a lot of really amazing people present and I can not fail to look beyond perfect. I heard the prince of England would be attending too. Who knows, I could find myself my own Prince Charming, an actual prince, president," she gasped "or even a king!"
Aubrey reached for her coffee mug and took a quick sip from it.
"I really don't know Noa, I'm not good at planning outfits for occasions, that's my Mum's job. Plus this is not just any occasion, it's the occasion, a royal occasion. Maybe you should ask Paris, it's her engagement party after all."
Noa could see how Paris was so lost in her thoughts to even be bothered by the conversation. She kept pacing to the end of her bed and then back, right where they could see her.
"She's doing it again isn't she?" Noa asked.
"Paris?" Aubrey tried to get her attention at least. "Is everything okay?"
Paris stopped pacing for a second and slowly turned to her laptop's screen so she could have a quick look at them. She let out an exasperated sigh. She had been so lost thinking about all the crazies that had happened that day that she had almost forgotten she was on a video call with her best friends, discussing the royal engagement event.
She folded her arms on her chest and pouted her lips, returning to her really huge bed and throwing herself on it.
"Paris, are you okay?" Aubrey had to ask. "You've been acting out of it ever since you got back from the palace. Did anything happen?"
"Maybe she's starting to have cold feet." Noa said. "It usually happens during times like this. Nights before a special event."
"Cold feet? But Paris has been prepared for the royal engagement almost all her life-"
"Guys." Paris had to cut their tiny discussion short. She had much more to think about and in as much as she wanted it to be the her engagement to the prince, she couldn't shake off what happened before dinner, at the flower shop. She couldn't get her face off her head. The face of the girl that was standing right outside, the one that looked exactly like her.
"What's up?" Noa asked as Paris returned her gaze to the screen.
"Do you both think doppelgängers exist?" She threw that question at them. "Do you think that it's possible for someone to look exactly like you? Like exactly and not even be remotely related to you?"
"How exactly?" Noa asked.
"I'm talking about a change of hair and eye color close to being identical twins."
"Mnn" Noa took a few seconds to think while Aubrey was trying to wrap her head around the question too.
"I don't really know much about things like this Pee," Noa started. "But I do know one thing for sure and it's that the chances of someone looking that much like someone else in even seven out of eight features is like one in a billion or even a trillion. To believe that doppelgängers exist means you'd have to believe that there is a parallel universe."
"So you don't think it's possible?"
"Not in this universe, no. But hey, the world is crazy and nature is even crazier. A lot of really impossible things have been happening lately so nothing can really surprise me anymore."
"I read this book about doppelgängers one time,"
Aubrey saw the need to go on. "And other books too, doppelgängers are often known to be harbingers of evil. Even if they exist, I don't think they can ever complement each other. They are destined to bring the doom or the end of one another. One has to die for the other to live in order to create a balance. A lot of things could go wrong if they are allowed to co-exist and what's worse, knowing that they both exist."
Paris let out a really frustrated exhale.
Now she was really worried. Was it really true? All the things they said? Was it really impossible for two different people to look identically alike unless it was in a parallel universe? But that wasn't a parallel universe and she didn't believe there was such a universe to begin with. She knew what she saw. There was no way she could have seen things, even the florist saw it too.
What was this?
What on earth was going on and who was that girl? Was she somehow connected to her? Maybe a twin she didn't know about? A twin?
What on earth are you thinking Paris?
She couldn't possibly be a twin. Paris was a hundred percent sure she didn't have a twin sister. At least none she knew of. She was the only child of her parents last time she checked.
She sighed.
Everything was really so frustrating at that point.
"Did anything happen today Pee?" She returned her gaze back to the screen so she could look at Aubrey who had a really concerned look on her face. "You look really flustered."
"Why are you suddenly asking about doppelgängers?" Noa added. "Did you meet one?"
Paris cleared her throat. Maybe it wasn't something to be bothered about. Maybe Noa was right, it was impossible, she didn't have to worry about it. She didn't have to tell them about it either.
"Don't be ridiculous Noa. I was just curious that's all." She said. "So what were we talking about again?" She tried to change the subject.
"Uh-" Noa started. "I was asking what color you think would be better for me to put on for your engagement. Red or blue."
Paris clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes
"I really don't care Noa, really. Just wear whatever you want. It's going to be a big party filled with a lot of people so no one is probably going to care or notice."
"Oh." Noa said. "Wow, thanks Paris." Noa rolled her eyes. Of course Paris was going to say that to her. Why did she even bother to ask.
"Guys, remember that lady I told you both about at the mall? The future reader?" Aubrey asked, a bit of excitement in her voice.
"The one you said you went to see with your Mum?" Noa asked, throwing the blue and red dresses she was holding before on the bed.
Aubrey nodded.
"What about her?"
"You know I said she gave me a prophesy but I just didn't understand what it meant or how it related to me?"
"Mnn." Noa nodded.
"Well, I was thinking, what if it didn't necessarily mean the prophesy was mine? What if it was for all of us?"
"Why would a seer see our future by looking at your palm? It's like saying a mind reader could read my mind by reading your mind."
"She said something about a sun and a moon, a fire and a dragon, an eclipse, an eclipse that was going to last forever, an eclipse where the sun got swallowed by the moon forever."
Noa narrowed her brows.
"I'm not sure I understand what this has to do about anything."
"Think about it. The dragon is used only in reference to one person or persons in the entire kingdom, the royal family, and the eclipse could be the luna eclipse, the day Paris was born."
"You think the royal family is the dragon and Paris is an eclipse?"
"No, more like a member of the royal family could be the dragon, the prince, and Paris, the sun or the moon, one of the elements of the eclipse."
"What?"
"I know it sounds crazy, trust me, it sounded even crazier when I thought about it but check this out, you know how every child in Breton is given an element on the day they are born? I got the wind and you got the anchor, Paris was given the sun, one of the elements of the luna eclipse."
"So who is the fire and who is the moon then?"
Aubrey frowned.
"Fire is a symbol of danger isn't it? It could mean something dangerous or bad is about to happen. Well, I haven't really figured that out yet."
Noa let out a faint chuckle.
"But I'm serious, what I said has to make sense somehow doesn't it?"
Noa laughed.
"Seriously Bre, you and your mother need to stop soliciting opinions from crazy fraudulent people." Paris cut in. "If you both have nothing to do with your money, give it all to charity and stop spending them on people that would just feed you with lies or fear, or tell you what you want to hear."
"But guys-"
"You're getting super sillier by the day Bre." Paris cut her off. "And it's starting to get super embarrassing right now. You sound really silly if you even believe in the slightest, anything you just said."
Aubrey let out a weak exhale.
"Talking to your really exhausts me nowadays."
Paris continued. "You always find new ways to exhaust and annoy me, literally. How do you blame people like Asher for not wanting to associate with you when you constantly freak people out like this? Keep it up and not even that hair make over is going to help you."
Noa pursed her lips. Aubrey was too embarrassed by what Paris had said to even speak.
Paris rolled her eyes. She was tired. Really tired of looking into her screen for that long besides, her friends weren't even helping matters at that point.
"Look guys, I'm having a really bad day so I can't really talk for so long. I've got to go now,"
"Yeah, me too." Noa added. "I have to look for other clothing options."
"Talk tomorrow?" Aubrey managed to brighten her face just a little bit. She let herself smile just a little bit.
"Sure." Paris smiled. "Love you guys."
"Love you too." Noa and Aubrey chorused before Paris shut her laptop and threw herself on her bed,
lying straight and raising her eyes to the ceiling.
Knock knock.
Paris slowly traced her eyes to the door as it opened slowly. She rolled her eyes when Denise pocked her head in.
"Can I come in?" She asked.
"Oh hell no." Paris shot up from her bed immediately and started to walk towards the door to shut it but Denise found her way in anyway.
"Get out." Paris told her.
"Paris, I'm not here to fight you,"
"Of course you're not. I won't let you-"
"I just want to talk." Denise was persistent and as calm as possible. She just needed Paris to listen. "All I want to do is talk."
Paris let out a breath and then folded her arms. She pouted. She raised her brow, she was giving Denise a few seconds to say what she wanted. She knew she was going to say it anyway.
"Fifteen seconds, what do you want?" She made sure her words were clear and her eyes didn't leave Denise. Denise let out a weak breath, she stopped wringing her fingers.
"Paris, I'm sorry for what I did at the palace, I know I spoke out of turn-"
"You're sorry?" Paris asked her. "You really want me to buy that crap? You did what you did on purpose. You tried to sabotage my marriage to the prince."
"I was asked a question and I answered honestly."
Paris scoffed.
"Wow."
"Paris, you have got to believe me when I say that I have no intentions to hurt you or come in between your relationship with the prince. I'm a part of this family too and I'd always want you to be happy. I said what I said because I was trying to protect your best interest."
"My best interest?" Paris glared at her. "You were doing this for me? To protect me?"
"Believe it or not Paris it's the truth, everything I said back there is the truth-"
"The only truth I see is that you've not changed." Paris cut her off. "You're still doing things no one ask you to do, you're still trying to come in between other people's happiness all because you never had your own."
"What?" Denise squinted her eyes in disbelief.
"That's why you're so bitter, that's why you keep trying to destroy my life and my future. It's because no one has ever accepted you. You're mad and jealous because the Vutron family don't like you. My grandma, my uncles, my cousins, aunts, they all look at you just the way I look at you, like a leech, a fluke, an opportunist, a gold digger who constantly digs her way into people's homes and lives and destroy it. Dad's the only one that cares about you, Mum did too until your jealousy killed her."
"That's not true."
"You're upset because grandma made you sign that prenup before you got married to my dad. You're jealous of me, because I have everything you don't and that's why you did what you did, that's why you keep trying to ruin my plans with the prince."
"That's not fair." Denise's voice broke. She had tears in her eyes. "That's not fair Paris and you know it."
Paris rolled her eyes and scoffed. She was going to save herself the stress of witnessing her crocodile tears but Denise was hurt. She was really hurt.
"All I've ever done is love and take care of you and this family like it's my own for the past nine years, all I've done is love and look after you like you were my own daughter, how on earth do I deserve this?"
"Well that's the point isn't it?" Paris returned her gaze to her, her frown even worsening. "I'm not your daughter, I'd never be a daughter to someone like you. Someone of lowly, disgusting blood."
Denise let out a weak and surprised scoff as she stared at Paris. She got this everyday but each time, it hurt twice as more as it did the times before.
Paris inhaled sharply.
"Time's up." She said. "I don't want you here anymore, get out." She pointed at the door.
"Paris-"
"Get out of my room right now!" She made sure she was clear this time around, glaring at Denise who shook at the second warning.
Denise let out a shaky breath.
"You're not going to leave?" Paris asked her.
"Paris please, just listen to me-"
"Fine then." Paris blinked and forced a smile on her face. "there are five other rooms to sleep in." She turned to her bed and picked up her laptop and phone. She turned back to Denise.
"I'd just leave."
She started to walk towards the door.
"Paris." Denis called her name once when she walked past her.
Bang!
The door closed loudly with a thud that made her jump in fright. Paris was out of the room and for some reason, Denise felt like her heart was ripping out of her chest. She needed to sit. She needed to breathe. She slowly sat on the bed to calm herself.
She raised her hand to her forehead, supporting it with her elbow in her thighs. She let out a weak exhale.
It was going to be a long week.